Plans to invest in schools 'must go further'

Following the Department of Education (DfE) plans to invest in school buildings in England, Alex Green of the Let’s Go Zero campaign said: “We can’t just be replacing like for like. We need to see robust plans from DfE for future-proofing schools. A huge amount of energy and money is wasted by schools each year because of old boiler systems, old and draughty properties, and the lack of funds to make improvements. While there are actions schools can take to cut costs and carbon, for long-term solutions the government must commit to adapting and retrofitting each school across the UK.”

The urgency with which retrofitting funding needs to be found is highlighted in the DfE’s annual report, in which it was reported that the risk level of school buildings collapsing has been raised to ‘very likely’. This follows an increase in the number of serious structural issues being reported, particularly in buildings built between 1945 and 1970.

Image credit | Alamy